Facts & Figures
Homelessness is the result of several systemic failures facing our state and our nation today:
- A housing market that fails to provide housing for households of various income levels, sizes, and abilities;
- A housing policy that fails to promote a market furthering those ends;
- A job market that fails to produce adequate living-wage jobs;
- A poor discharge planning prior to people’s release from jails and hospitals (along with limited placement options for the persons being discharged;
- A system in which youth over age sixteen who are aged out of foster care because of budget constraints (but who are provided with no plan for their future success); and,
- The community’s social safety net that fails to pick up where gaps occur.
For some people, in addition to the systemic issues are contributing factors such as mental illness, chemical dependency, poor rental history, criminal background, neglect, and domestic violence. Ideally, a comprehensive response to prevent homelessness would assure these contributing factors do not result in homelessness.
The Coalition conducts and compiles from third parties research on homelessness and the myriad issues people experiencing homelessness struggle with each day. We hope you will find this section of our website useful.